Improvement in back sight for fire-arms



E MAYNARD BACK SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

Patented Oct. 4, 1859.

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0., WASHINGTON o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-10E...

EDWARD MAYNARD, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BACK SIGHT FOR FIRE-ARMS.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,663, dated October 4, 1859.

Toall whom it may concern;

- Be it known that I, EDWARD MAYNARD, of the city of Washington and District of O0- lumbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in theBack Sights of Fire-Arms;

and I do hereby-declare that the following is,

from a fire-arm; and Fig. 3 is an edge view of the adjustable portions of the back sight detached from their supportingcarriage.

The 'carriage'E, which supports the adj ustable features of my-improved back sight for tire -arms, I' combine with the; tang F of the breech-piece of a'fi're-arm, or with some'other suitable metallic strap or plate which may be combined with the upper side of the stool; of said arm. The back-sight carriage E'has a headof a cylindrical shape, that fits accurately between a pair of ears that rise from the tang F, and which is jointed to said ears by a pin that passes through a central aperture in the said cylindrical head. Two grooves are formed in the periphery of the head of the carriage E in the respective positions shown in Fig.1, and immediately beneath the said carriage-head apin, i, passes up through 'an aperture in the tang F, 'from the outwardlyacting spring 9, which is combined with the under side of said tangby means of the screw h, and which vibrates freely within a recess formed in the gun-stock. The shape of the upper end of the pin i bears such a relation to the shape of the grooves orconcavities in the head of the carriage E that itbears only upon the extreme outer edges of said grooves, thereby holding the back-sight carriage steadily in either of its proper positions, without the liability of any play such as is due to wear in such mechanism.

To prevent any lateral strain from being exerted upon theback sight carriage when it is in its closed position, a knob, f, is combined with the tang F, and placed in such a position that it will fit snugly into the outer portion of the oblong aperture in said carriage.

The perforated. sight-plate a may be com bined with the parallel sides of the carriage E in the manner represented in the drawings, or in any other manner that may be deemed expedient. The plates 1) and b, which are combined with the front and rear faces of the parallel sides of the carriage, and also with each other by means of the set-screws c d, have inwardly projecting shoulders or offsets j j, Fig. 3, that fit between the sidebars of the carriage and accurately guide the movements of said plates as they are adjusted to different elevations upon, the carriage. A portion of i the ofi'setj ofthe plate 11 extends a short distance above said plate, for the purpose of en-. abling the sight-plate a, which rests upon the. upper edge of the plate I), to be secured to the face of s'aidofi'set by meansof the set-screw c, which passes through a transverse slot in the sight-plate.

I am aware that back sights of fire-arms have been arranged on the stock of the gun,

and have been made to fold oma hinge-joint, D

with a spring to hold the sight-carriage in a vertical position, and that this spring has been arranged both above and below the joint. I therefore do not claim, broadly, a folding ,sight with a spring-holder located on the stock of a fire-arm; but

What I do claim is- 1. The device as setforth, viz: the grooved cylindrical end of the sight-carriage, in combination with a spring boltor pin of such form that it shall fall into the grooves and bear against their two sides, and yet not touch the bottoms of the grooves, so that as it wears it willjs'till press on. the sides of the grooves and holdthe carriage firm in either of its positions.

2. The device, as set forth, of placing the spring and its bolt or pin within the stock or breech of the gun for its more perfect protection from wet and, damage by accident, the opening through which the pin acts beingsusceptible of being closed with oil or packing;

'Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN,

Z. G. RoBBms.

EDWARD MAYNARD. 

